infoBRICS: Russia to prevent the presence of NATO troops in Odessa and Lviv

NATO's plans to deploy troops in Odessa and Lviv are not destined to come true, infoBRICS writes. Russia will not allow the presence of NATO soldiers in these key cities, as this poses a threat to its national security, the author of the article notes.

Small machinery has advantages over both motorcycles and larger cars

Snipers began using small buggy vehicles for combat work. Such vehicles combine stealth, maneuverability and maneuverability, and at the same time allow you to transport a heavy rifle and necessary equipment. Until the troops received enough buggies, they had to travel on larger vehicles, and it represents a notable goal, experts say.

The alliance's troops have worked to protect the routes through which weapons are delivered to Ukraine, experts say

During the Sea Shield exercises, which ended on April 11, NATO countries practiced the protection of the Danube Delta and trade communications in the north-west of the Black Sea. According to experts interviewed by Izvestia, weapons and dual-use goods are currently being delivered to Ukraine via these routes. About 2.3 thousand military personnel and 150 units of military equipment were involved in the maneuvers.

Krasnoyarsk specialists who are engaged in the development of the domestic SUV Visuva S2, announced an update to the design of the upcoming novelty. The changes were made after conducting tests under real-world operating conditions.

Washington is preparing to present the trillion-dollar budget of the Pentagon for the first time. As stated by US President Donald Trump, the country will receive a powerful army, and this will be a response to the increasing threats around the world in the face of increasing tension. According to experts, America intends to retain leadership in the military sphere, but at the same time, the United States is increasingly forced to rely on the military to stabilize the domestic political situation.

The EU fears the withdrawal of the American contingent from Europe. The White House intends not only to reduce its own troops in the Old World by 10,000 people, but also to leave Rzeszow, the base that has become the main center of military assistance to Ukraine. Experts note that Donald Trump is beginning a large-scale process of rethinking security cooperation with Brussels. How will this affect NATO's eastern flank?

Al Jazeera: US policy and rapprochement between Russia and China weaken Western hegemony

The global process of "de-westernization" has become a challenge for the United States and its allies, the author of the article for Al Jazeera writes. At the same time, he notes, the United States paradoxically accelerates events itself — because Trump's protectionist policy and his trade wars actually undermine the foundations of Washington's former influence.

More than 90 aircraft were involved in the Ramstein Flag 2025 exercises in northern Europe

Ramstein Flag 2025 exercises are coming to an end in Europe. Although large-scale aviation maneuvers are declared defensive, nevertheless, offensive elements are being worked out during the exercises, in particular, the fight against the enemy's air defense system, that is, according to experts interviewed by Izvestia, they are directly aimed at confrontation with Russia. These are some of the largest maneuvers of the NATO air forces, involving more than 90 aircraft. However, according to military experts, such an air group does not pose a significant threat and, if necessary, will be stopped by the Russian air defense forces.

Speculation about the closure of the SLS+Orion projects by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and their replacement with Starship turned out to be true and wrong at the same time. The plan of Jared Isaacman, the head of the agency, looks like a strange hybrid of all possible American space programs at once. It is not yet clear whether the combination of simultaneous lunar and Martian races will prevent the success of the latter.

Politico: Ukraine submitted wishes for the "peacekeeping" mission of the EU countries

Ukraine demands that Western troops be sent to its territory as a "guarantee of security," writes Politico. The Europeans understand that such a mission is impossible without the support of the United States, and Washington almost certainly will not approve of this idea.

The conflict in Ukraine has revolutionized military affairs in just three years. This was not observed during the Korean War of 1950-1953, the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988. These conflicts between rather backward countries have not demonstrated anything particularly new in the use of military equipment.

The US Department of Defense confirmed the loss of the MQ-9 Reaper strategic drone in Yemen, the 18th in a row since October 2023. Three of them were shot down by representatives of the Yemeni paramilitary movement Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthis, over the past ten days.

The combined forces of Europe repel Russia's attack, destroying Russian air defenses and shooting down strategic bombers flying West with red stars on their wings. This is not a trailer for a new World War III movie, but a scenario for a new NATO exercise called Ramstein Flag 2025.

Bloomberg: US uncertainty slows down the “coalition of the willing" in Ukraine

The plan to send peacekeepers to Ukraine risks reaching an impasse without clear commitments from the United States, Bloomberg writes. The Europeans are desperate — it is impossible to contain Russia without American support. Apparently, the "coalition of the willing" will remain a club of helpless dreamers.

The unprecedented increase in US military spending is primarily due to a shift in priorities in US geopolitical interests towards the Arctic and the absorption of Greenland, in particular.

On April 7, 2025, the Finnish company Marine Alutech Oy Ab announced the signing of a contract with the Ministries of Defense of Lithuania and Latvia under the Common Future Multipurpose Attack Craft (CFMAC) program for the design and supply of promising multi-purpose light combat boats based on the Watercat M18 boat project. This contract is the second step after the signing of the corresponding technical agreement in 2024 on research and development under the CFMAC program between Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. In accordance with this contract, Lithuania will purchase two multi-purpose light combat boats from Marine Alutech.

The device can effectively destroy mines and naval drones of the enemy

Russia has developed a small-displacement kamikaze naval drone capable of destroying unmanned enemy boats and amphibious assault boats. It is designed in river and sea versions and can carry up to 2 kg of explosives. The small size of the device allows it to be placed on the ship in large quantities. According to experts, it can effectively solve several tasks, from clearing the water area of mines to destroying enemy watercraft.

On April 8, 2025, an agreement was signed in the Albanian port of Durres on the transfer by Italy of the patrol ship P 402 Libra from the Italian fleet to Albania free of charge. Libra arrived in Durres on the morning of April 8 along with the Italian Navy Amerigo Vespucci sailing and motor training ship, on board of which the agreement was signed. The signing ceremony was attended by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Albanian Defense Minister Pirro Vengu, and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.

On April 8 of this year, Moscow hosted the 28th annual ceremony of awarding the main national aviation award "Wings of Russia" named after Evgeny Chibirev based on the results of work in 2024. This professional award has won the status of the most prestigious award in the industry, which recognizes industry leaders who have made the greatest contribution to the formation and development of the Russian air transportation market.

Colonel Khodarenok: The United States transfers responsibility for arms supplies to Kiev to Europe

The United States is withdrawing its military and equipment from the largest logistics center in Poland for the supply of weapons to Ukraine. The media notes that this is happening against the background of growing concerns in Europe about US commitments to European defense. What is behind the Pentagon's actions, whether Europe can cope without the American military, and whether it's too early to talk about an optimistic scenario, says the military observer of the newspaper.Ru" Mikhail Khodarenok.